The Great Go-Mission | May 31, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Carrying Fonts and Chairs to Unseen Faces

The church’s move from Georgia Avenue to 13 acres required releasing a building steeped in sacred memories—weddings, baptisms, refugee welcomes. Yet the congregation chose to labor for strangers they’d never meet, trusting God’s mission over nostalgia. Their caravan of minivans hauling hymnbooks and baptismal fonts became a parable of faith: building for futures only heaven could foresee. True mission demands leaving comfort to create space for those still unknown. [19:25]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: What familiar comfort might God be asking you to release so others can encounter Christ? How does your daily rhythm reflect preparation for people you’ve yet to meet?

Day 2: Galilee of the Gentiles in Your Commute

Jesus launched his mission from a crossroads of cultures, Galilee’s mixed Jewish-Gentile terrain. The Great Commission’s “go” isn’t merely global—it’s the grocery line, school pickup, and workplace conversations. Mission happens “as you go,” turning commutes into cross-cultural encounters. America’s post-Christian landscape now mirrors Galilee: a mission field where ethnic diversity and spiritual hunger intersect. The risen Christ meets us not in stained-glass isolation but in the messy going. [07:30]

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: Where does your regular “going” intersect with people unlike you? How might the Spirit reshape routine routes into intentional mission paths?

Day 3: Ethiopia’s 15 Million and Your Pew

While American Lutheranism declines, Ethiopia’s Lutheran church grew from zero to 15 million in one lifetime. This global shift reveals God’s bias for the unlikely—the “nations” Jesus prioritized. Our pews now hold diaspora communities answering 1950s prayers. Mission flourishes where we release control, trusting God works through both our minivans and global upheavals. The Great Commission thrives when we join what’s already blooming, not just what we plant. [09:18]

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9–10, ESV)

Reflection: How does the global Church’s growth challenge your assumptions about where God is working? What diaspora neighbor might reveal Christ’s global mission to you?

Day 4: Walking Water and Wobbly Imitation

Peter didn’t just admire Jesus’ water-walking—he stepped out, imitating the Master despite his fear. Discipleship means doing, not applauding. When we fixate on our inadequacy rather than Christ’s command, we sink. Yet even Peter’s failure was a disciple’s act: better to wet feet than dry boats. Mission requires risking imitation, trusting the Caller over the waves. [14:32]

“He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’” (Matthew 14:29–30, ESV)

Reflection: Where is Christ calling you to “step out” beyond safe imitation? How does fear of failure hinder your disciple-making actions?

Day 5: Distazo—Doubt That Hesitates, Not Denies

The disciples’ post-resurrection doubt (distazo) wasn’t disbelief but wavering—the paralysis of “how?” amid the undeniable “what.” Mission stalls when we fixate on logistics over the Commander’s presence. Keller warned that drifting churches prioritize preservation over proclamation. Like the Georgia Avenue caravan, we move because “I am with you” outweighs every “but what if?” [17:32]

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6–8, ESV)

Reflection: What mission step have you hesitated to take due to practical uncertainties? How does Christ’s eternal presence reframe your temporal fears?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 28 sends the risen Jesus and his disciples from Jerusalem back to Galilee of the Gentiles, his home base for mission, and turns his mission into theirs. The Great Commission puts words to that handoff. Jesus says, go, make disciples of all nations, baptize into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach people to live the life of Christ. The promise that closes the charge is the presence of God, I am with you always, every step of the way.

The word go drives the passage, but the New Testament nuance matters. Go sounds like as you go, in your going, wherever you go. Mission does not only happen on planes and passports. Mission happens in households, workplaces, neighborhoods, and everyday routes. History bears this out. A century ago most Christians lived in Europe and North America. Today the center of gravity is in the global South. The Great Commission is going great in places like Ethiopia, while the United States has become one of the largest mission fields on earth. So as you go fits the moment.

The word nations in the text is ethne. Jesus is not aiming at political entities, but peoples, cultures, languages, and tribes. Galilee of the Gentiles already signaled that shape to his mission. Jesus is the barrier breaker and the bridge builder, so multiethnic outreach is not an add-on. It is the DNA of the command.

The word disciple also needs restoration. A disciple in the ancient Near East did not only absorb content. A disciple imitated the master’s life. That is why Jesus says, take up your cross. That is why Peter steps onto the water. Failure will come when eyes shift to self, but the call remains to follow him, to act like him, to love like him.

The hard word is doubt. Matthew says they worshiped him, but some doubted. The issue is not disbelief like Thomas. The word is distazo, hesitation. The heart knows the truth and still wavers about what to do next. Jesus answers that stall with movement. Do not hesitate. Keep going. When churches hesitate, they drift into comfort, politics, or self-preservation. Jesus calls his people to recapture the mission, to be deeply humble and sacrificially generous for the hope of the world and the future population of heaven.

The move from Georgia Avenue to this campus pictured that obedience. God used people to pick up and go, to build for those not yet met, and to welcome the nations God would send. The Great Commission keeps pressing. As you go, make disciples. Jesus will be with you, every step of the way. So, let’s go.

Key Takeaways

1. The Great Commission sends everybody. [05:40] The command does not retire with apostles or rest with clergy. Scripture keeps placing the mission in the hands of ordinary women and men in ordinary places. When baptism names a person, the assignment goes with it. Nobody gets outsourced in the kingdom. [05:40]
2. Go means as you go near. [07:30] The Greek grammar releases mission into daily life. The trip across town can matter as much as the trip across the ocean. Faithfulness looks like showing up for neighbors with Jesus’ presence and words. Ordinary routes become holy ground when the gospel walks them. [07:30]
3. All nations means all ethne. [10:48] Jesus aims at peoples, not just passports. Galilee of the Gentiles previews a church that crosses cultures without losing the center. Multiethnic life is not trend but obedience, a visible sign that Jesus is the barrier breaker and bridge builder. The table grows because grace does. [10:48]
4. Disciples imitate the Master’s life. [13:56] Biblical discipleship reaches beyond belief into embodied likeness. Take up your cross names a pattern, not a moment. Words and actions begin to rhyme with Jesus. Failure will come, but imitation keeps resetting the compass to him. [13:56]
5. Doubt often means hesitating obedience. [17:32] Matthew’s distazo is not cynical unbelief, but a stall at the edge of action. The cure is movement under promise, not shame. Jesus answers hesitation with his presence and a task. Step by step, courage grows where obedience goes. [17:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Gratitude for choirs
[00:51] - Leaving Georgia Avenue
[03:19] - From Jerusalem to Galilee
[04:09] - The Great Commission named
[05:21] - Mission belongs to everybody
[06:55] - The operative word: Go
[08:03] - Christianity’s global shift
[09:59] - America as mission field
[10:48] - All nations means all ethne
[13:38] - The goal of a disciple
[15:46] - The problem of doubt
[18:12] - When churches drift
[19:25] - Picking up and going
[21:01] - Keep going in Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Observation questions

The sermon highlights that the Greek word for "go" in Matthew 28:19 implies "as you go" rather than a distant journey. What everyday places or routines are mentioned as opportunities for mission? [07:30]
Why does the passage specifically mention Galilee as the setting for the Great Commission, and how does its nickname "Galilee of the Gentiles" connect to the mission’s scope? [03:49]
What distinction does the sermon make between the two Greek words for doubt (pisteosso and distazo) in Matthew 28:17? [17:32]

Interpretation questions

Jesus chose Galilee—a culturally diverse region—as the launchpad for his global mission. How might this setting shape the disciples’ understanding of "all nations" (ethne)?
The sermon contrasts discipleship as "imitation" rather than mere belief. How does Jesus’ command to "teach them to observe all I have commanded" (v. 20) reinforce this idea?
Why might Jesus respond to doubt (distazo) with a call to action ("Go") and a promise of presence ("I am with you") instead of addressing their hesitation directly?

Application questions

The mission field includes "households, workplaces, and everyday routes." What is one "ordinary route" in your life (e.g., school drop-off, gym, grocery store) where you could intentionally reflect Jesus’ presence this week? [07:30]
Multiethnic outreach is called the "DNA" of the Great Commission. What practical step could you take to engage with someone from a different cultural or ethnic background in your community? [11:26]
Doubt as hesitation (distazo) often stalls obedience. When have you felt conflicted between knowing God’s call and acting on it? What “next step” could you take this week to move forward despite uncertainty? [17:32]
The sermon warns against churches drifting into "comfort or self-preservation." How can you personally help your faith community stay focused on outward mission rather than inward preferences?
The phrase "as you go" turns daily life into holy ground. What habit or relationship already in your routine could become a intentional space for sharing hope?

Sermon Clips

39s

“Some congregations tell people to stop because it violates their comfort or their sense of self preservation. Jesus, he calls us to go and to make disciples of all nations, of all people, to welcome them in to a place where love flows, forgiveness is given, faithfulness wins the day, and with the promise that he's gonna be with us every day, every step of the way. Don't give up. Don't hesitate. Keep going for the glory of God.”

48s

“Because God's great commission is also his go mission. And the word go is the operative word here. Although, it turns out that in the language of the New Testament, the word go is a word that that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to go very far. In fact, it may be good for you to take a mission trip to a faraway place, but it's also possible to be part of the mission of Jesus right where you are because the word go in Matthew 28, more precisely translated, would sound like as you go or in your going or wherever you go.”

42s

“And when it drifts, its priorities become things like comfort or politics or self preservation. When Jesus is calling us to recapture the mission that he has given us, his mission, which is now our mission, which is not about comfort or politics or self preservation. It's about proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. It's about being deeply humble. It's about sacrificial service in the name of Jesus for the hope of the world and the future population of heaven itself.”

47s

“And without hesitating, my father said to him, not at all as long as she's Lutheran. I I still don't know what to make of that comment, quite frankly. But what I do know is that Jesus is the barrier breaker. Jesus is the bridge builder among all people, every ethnicity, every race, every person, and every need, which may just have something to do with the fact that his home base for mission was known as Galilee Of The Gentiles.”

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The Great Go-Mission | May 31, 2026 | Sermon